Another book in the series of BIOS Instant Notes, Medical Microbiology provides an introduction to a variety of today’s important human pathogens in a clinically relevant context. Truly, this book is what its name suggests: an “instant” reference. It probably will provide the most help to those with a scientific background who need a means of quickly looking up pieces of information they have forgotten or for undergraduates interested in the material but not looking to be inundated with mechanistic detail.
The book begins with a broad introduction to microbial pathogenesis, with some attention paid to pathogen biology and life cycles and human immune responses to various infections. Certainly not enough information for first-time learners, this section in particular should serve only as a refresher for a reader who understands the fundamental concepts of microbiology, immunology, and cell biology. The book then divides pathogens into three major groups: viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotic organisms. Each infectious agent (or more typically, a family of pathogens; e.g., Spirochaetes or influenza viruses) is described in two to five pages. Attention is paid to the basic biology of the pathogen, mechanisms of pathogenesis, distribution of the disease, clinical presentation, and prescribed treatment for infections.
Following the sections on human pathogens is a section titled “Infections: diagnosis, treatment and prevention.” This reader found this section a bit difficult to navigate. The authors attempted to cover quite a bit of material, including laboratory diagnosis techniques, drug families, antibiotic resistance and mechanisms of resistance acquisition, and vaccines. Drugs and vaccines would better have been addressed in their own section. Despite this, the material in this section is informative and easy to understand, as is the rest of Medical Microbiology. The book concludes with a well-organized, albeit by no means exhaustive, overview of the clinical manifestations of various infections, with subsections such as “Lower Respiratory Tract Infections” and “Infections in Immunocompromised Patients.” Presentation, treatment and prevention strategies are described for each spectrum of infections.
Overall, Medical Microbiology is a comprehensive overview of today’s clinically relevant human pathogens, ideal for science students and biologically oriented individuals who are looking for a quick reference guide. While the book, for the most part, flows well from one chapter to the next, readers will likely find the index particularly helpful in finding what they are looking for, as certain topics are addressed in multiple sections. The book is well-written and straightforward with minimal unexplained jargon or terminology. It would make a welcome addition to any biologist’s bookshelf. One last note: Readers should be aware this book is written by three British professors, and thus much of the data presented regarding prevalence and relevance of certain infections pertains to the United Kingdom, rather than to us here in the United States.